28th Jul 2006: Award winning Dublin Architects for Coleraine Regional Museum
On Tuesday 25th July 2006, Coleraine Borough Council announced that the Architects for the New Coleraine Regional Museum at the Market Yard (with or without the Library) are the prestigious Dublin team of O'Donnell + Tuomey Architects.
O'Donnell + Tuomey will be leading a highly experienced team of building consultants to work with Coleraine Borough Council to develop what promises to be an exciting flagship project.
Internationally acclaimed O'Donnell + Tuomey have twice been nominated for the RIBA Stirling Prize for Building of the Year, most recently for the prestigious Glucksman Gallery in Cork. Other successful projects undertaken by O'Donnell + Tuomey have included the Irish Film Centre, National Photographic Archive, Blackwood Golf Centre, and Ireland's Pavilion- Venice Biennale. Letterfrack Furniture College and Ranelagh Multi - Denominational School. Currently they are working on Lyric Theatre Belfast, Irish Art Research Centre Trinity College and An Gaelaras Derry.
O'Donnell + Tuomey were amongst 54 teams from all over the world competing for the project, managed by Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Competitions Office. The Jury Panel consisted of Coleraine Borough Council elected representative, Council officers, North East Education and Library Board Representative and Royal British Institute Architects Advisor.
In May, five teams were shortlisted - Consarc Design Group (Belfast). Panter Hudspith Architects (London). Niall McLaughlin Architects (London), O'Donnell + Tuomey Architects (Dublin) and Heneghan Peng Architects (Dublin).
In June the short-listed teams spent a day visiting the site and touring the area with members of the Jury Panel and other Museum staff before attending an interview on July 7th. The decision to appoint O'Donnell + Tuomey was unanimous. Announcing the decision, Cllr A McQuillan, Chair of both the Coleraine Regional Museum Working Group and Jury Panel commented, "The Jury Panel were impressed by all five teams at interview and appreciated the considerable efforts everyone made. It was by no means an easy decision. However, the panel were convinced by the team's ability to demonstrate their considerable experience of successful cultural projects and their understanding of the selection criteria".
Advisor for RIBA Clare Wright said "It was a pleasure to be involved in selecting a team from such a high calibre field. O'Donnell and Tuomey's outstanding talent and sensitivity were once again evident in their ideas for this project. I look forward to visiting a wonderful new museum in Coleraine in the not too distant future."
H. Perry Causeway Museum Service Officer added; ‘We are delighted to be working with O'Donnell + Tuomey. Their initial responses to the site have presented us with very exciting possibilities for the way we present our collection to visitors and the ways in which we can engage local people in their heritage - not only in the end result - the long awaited Regional Museum for Coleraine but importantly, in the process of developing the project".
John Tuomey said, "The Market Yard has a very strong character; a stone-walled open ground at the edge of the town centre. We hope to integrate the new public activities in a modern architectural design that will enhance the historic site and regenerate its pivotal position in the everyday civic life of the town".